Recording device



June 24, 1930- w. MAYER Er AL RECORDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 1o, 1927' INVENToRs @arles T/I/JY E@ re' i Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE CHARLES W. MAYER AND EVERETT F. SIJLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK .RECORDING- DEVICE Application led November 10, 1927. Serial No. 232,434.

This invention relates to recording instruments of the type in which a recording sheet moves relatively to a movable stylus.

According to some present practices a sheet of colored paper provided with a substantially opaque surface coating of a different colored relatively soft material is mounted on the rotating portion of the indicator and a pointed stylus is held in contact with the coated surface and cuts a groove in the coating material or otherwise causes the colored surface of the sheet to become visible. It has been found, however, that in some instances, particularly in instances where very delicate instruments are used, such practices are not satisfactory. The stylus point enters the surface coating material and its movement is retarded thereby. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a device of the above nature in which coated discs or sheets or webs of paper or othersuitable material may be used satisfactorily. Another object is to provide an improved stylus arm structure. Another object is to provide an improved mounting for a stylus arm. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of'constructipn, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as willl be exemplified in the structure `to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in thel following claims.

ln the accompanying drawings in `which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention, I

Figure 1 shows the stylus arm of this in- 40 vention applied to one of the usual formsb of recording instruments;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the stylus arm, certain portions being in section to show its structure and the manner 5 in which it is mounted on its support;

Figure is a plan View of the supported end portion of the stylus arm; and

Figure 4 is a view illustrating they effect of the stylus point on the coating material. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in Figure 1 one of the usual kforms of recording instruments having the improved-stylus and stylus arm of tlns invention applied thereto. AThe recording instrument comprises the usual casing l0, rotatable support 11, and stylus arm actuating mechanism 12. The stylus arm is pivotally mounted adjacent one of its ends within the casing and has a bifurcated end portion which is connected to the actuating mechanism through the lever 13.

The stylus arm comprises a pair of metal strips 14 and 15 formed of any suitable metal which isa good conductor of electricity and spaced apart by means of the strip of insulating material 16. The strips 14, 15and 16 may be connected together in any suitable manner, such as b means of insulated rivets or by means o a suitable cement. The strips 14 and l5 adjacent one end ofthe arm are provided with substantially concentric yapertures through which the stylus 17 is adapted to extend, the strip 15 being offset in order to space the two bearings for the stylus a suitable distance apart.

The stylus is preferably formed of metal having a relatively high resistance.y The composition and properties of the metal forming the stylus is, of course, determined yby the temperature to which it is desired to heat the stylus and the voltage which it is desired to apply. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the stylus has an olfset end portion 2O which limits its movement in one direction and engages aleaf spring 21 carried by the strip 14 for limiting its movement in the opposite direction. A stylus having a short sharp point is preferable since in such a structure the heat is more readily conducted to and better retained by the extreme end portion.

The strip 15 adjacent the pivoted end portion of the arm extends beyond thev strips 14 find 16 to provide an electrical contact surace.

The stylus arm is mounted on a b'ase 22 point and the record sheet. Whether the which may be carried by the instrument casing, and .which has a projecting portion to which the stylus arm support 23 is pivotally attached as at 24. A block of insulating material 25 has a reduced end portion which block 25 and locks the ,said block in position on the support 23.

Binding posts for, connecting the stylus arm with a source of electricity are formed by the plungers 27 and 30 which extend through apertures in the bloclz 25. Each of the members 27 and 30 has an enlarged end portion which fits within a correspondingly 4enlaro'ed portion of the aperture in the block 25 through which it extends. Helical springs 3l and 32 are mounted on the members 27 and 30 and serve to hold the enlarged end portions of-the said members in yielding engagement with the strips 14 and 15. A washer 33, formed of insulating material, spaces the strip 15 from the support The structure of the stylus arm and the means for connecting t e said arm with a source of electricity permit electricity to be conducted to the stylus for heating purposes without the use of wire or other conductors which might retard the movement of the arm. The block 25 is normally held stationary and the pressure of thepl-ungers A27 and 30 on the strips 14 and 15 is negligible.

A ,record sheet 34 provided with a -surface, coating of relatively soft wax-like materi/a'l having a low fusing point is mounted on'l the support 11 and the point of the stylus is placedimmediately adjacent the coated surface. The position of the stylus may be adjusted through the agency of the screw 35 carried by the rojecting portion 36 of the support 23. T e temperature of the stylus' are substantially opaque, after lfusion they become and remain transparent. -In some instances, even whenthere is novdirect contact between the stylus and the coating material, a channel such as that shown in Fig` ure 4 at 37 may be formed, tracing the line of relative movement between the stylus material merely becomes transparent or a channel is formed the colored surface ofthe sheet material becomes clearly visible throu h the coatin material.

In igure 4 is s own an enlarged view of a portion of coated sheet material the coating material of which has been aiected by the heated stylus. It will be noted that a. well defined channel 37 is formed. The' material shown in Figure 4 comprises a base sheet of fibrous or other material 40, a layer of wax-like material 41 and a surface layer 42 of, the wax-like material having innumerable small particles of organic or inorganic material embedded therein. This product and the method of making the same from the subject matter form a separate application.

It has been found to be highly desirable in using coated paper on sensitive instruments to space the stylus point from the coated surface as shown in Figure 2, but it has been found that'even on some of the sensitive instruments very good results may be obtained by allowing the stylus point to enter the coating material a short dis-y tance. The heat from the stylus causes the coating material immediatel adjacent thereto to melt and itthen o ers little or no resistance to the movement of the stylus.

Another advantage of the stylus of this invention is that it permits the use of sheet material which maybe coated'fwith a substance which is relativel hard or flaky and which offers considerab e resistance to the movement of the ordinary cold stylus. The stylus of this invention may be heated to any desired reasonable temperature, and accordingly it may pass with ease through coating materials having a considerable range of hardness or brittleness without danger of chipping the coating material `and without placing too great-a strain on the stylus arm actuating mechanism.

As many embodiments may be made of this invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown' in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a recording instrument, the combination with a movable sup ort'and a sheet having a surface coating o relatively soft material mounted on said support, of a heated stylus positioned adjacent the coated surface of said sheet.

2. A recording device comprising a mov# I able sup ort, sheet material having a sur-v vface. coating of fusible material mounted on said support, and an electrically heated stylus positioned adjacent the coated sur.- face of saidsheet material.

3. In a recording instrument, a stylus arm comprisin .a pair of spaced conductors, a Astylus exten between `the adj acent end of said arm.

ends of said conductors adjacent an end of sald arm, and means connectlng the other ends of sald conductors to a source of elec- CHARLES W. MAYER. EVERETT F. SILLER. 

